Storage and retrieval system

Abstract

A storage and retrieval system is disclosed, comprising: a grid above a workspace; a plurality of containers located in stacks within the workspace; a plurality of load handling devices arranged to move along the grid and configured to raise and lower the containers to and from the stacks located within the workspace; a terminal disposed within the workspace, the terminal being arranged to receive a transport assembly that is configured to enable one or more of the stacks of containers to be transported away from the workspace; wherein the terminal comprises a docking assembly that is arranged to control the position of the transport assembly within the terminal; wherein the docking assembly comprises one or more alignment devices that are arranged to align the transport assembly relative to the grid above the terminal and a friction reducing surface that is arranged to support the transport assembly within the terminal.

1 . A storage and retrieval system comprising:
 a grid above a workspace;   a plurality of containers located in stacks within the workspace;   a plurality of load handling devices arranged to move along the grid and configured to raise and lower the containers to and from the stacks located within the workspace; and   a terminal disposed within the workspace, the terminal being arranged to receive a transport assembly that is configured to enable one or more of the stacks of containers to be transported away from the workspace;   wherein the terminal comprises a docking assembly that is arranged to control the position of the transport assembly within the terminal;   wherein the docking assembly comprises one or more alignment devices that are arranged to align the transport assembly relative to the grid above the terminal and a friction reducing surface that is arranged to support the transport assembly within the terminal.   
     
     
         2 . The storage and retrieval system according to  claim 1 , wherein the terminal is arranged to allow the load handling devices to raise and lower the containers to and from the stacks located on the transport assembly when received within the terminal. 
     
     
         3 . The storage and retrieval system according to  claim 1 , wherein the transport assembly comprises movement means that allow the transport assembly to move independently relative to the grid when supported by the movement means on a floor surface and wherein the terminal is arranged such that the movement means do not touch the floor surface when the tracks are supported on the friction reducing surface. 
     
     
         4 . The storage and retrieval system according to  claim 1 , wherein the friction reducing surface comprises a multi-directional transfer surface, and preferably comprises a roller ball transfer surface. 
     
     
         5 . The storage and retrieval system according to  claim 1 , wherein the terminal further comprises a releasable restraint device that is arranged, when engaged, to hold the transport assembly within the terminal. 
     
     
         6 . The storage and retrieval system according to  claim 5 , wherein the restraint device is arranged to transition from a disengaged configuration to an engaged configuration during movement of a transport assembly into the docking assembly. 
     
     
         7 . The storage and retrieval system according to  claim 5 , wherein the terminal further comprises a sensor that is arranged to detect the presence of a transport assembly within the terminal, and the restraint device is arranged to transition from the disengaged configuration to the engaged configuration in response to an input from the sensor. 
     
     
         8 . The storage and retrieval system according to  claim 5 , wherein the restraint device is arranged to hold the transport assembly against an inner surface of the terminal when in the engaged configuration. 
     
     
         9 . The storage and retrieval system according to  claim 8 , wherein the terminal comprises an opening arranged to allow the transport assembly to move into and out of the terminal and the inner surface of the terminal is opposite to the opening. 
     
     
         10 . The storage and retrieval system according to  claim 9 , wherein the restraint device is further arranged to move the transport assembly towards an inner surface of the terminal. 
     
     
         11 . The storage and retrieval system according to  claim 1 , wherein the grid defines a plurality of grid spaces and each stack of containers is disposed beneath a grid space, and the terminal comprises one or more access channels, each access channel being disposed beneath a corresponding grid space and being arranged to allow the load handling devices to raise and lower storage containers into the terminal. 
     
     
         12 . The storage and retrieval system according to  claim 11 , wherein the alignment devices of the docking assembly are arranged to align the transport assembly within the terminal such that the one or more access channels of the terminal are aligned with container receiving portions of the transport assembly. 
     
     
         13 . The storage and retrieval system according to  claim 11 , wherein each access channel comprises container guide elements that are arranged to guide containers into and out of the terminal through the access channel. 
     
     
         14 . The storage and retrieval system according to  claim 1 , wherein the terminal comprises a chamber that is arranged to receive a transport assembly and within which the docking assembly is located, and the chamber comprises an opening through which a transport assembly can move into and out of the terminal and a door that is arranged to cover the opening. 
     
     
         15 . The storage and retrieval system according to  claim 14 , wherein terminal comprises:
 a lock mechanism that is configured to lock the door;   one or more sensors that are configured to detect when a container-lifting device of a load handling device is within the terminal; and   a lock controller that is configured to engage and disengage the lock mechanism in response to outputs from the sensors.   
     
     
         16 . The storage and retrieval system according to  claim 1 , wherein the terminal further comprises movable bridging elements that are configured to move between a first position and a second position, wherein the bridging elements are arranged, when in the first position, to extend at least partially between an access channel of the terminal and a receiving portion of a transport assembly that is disposed within the terminal and, when in the second position, to be retracted away from the first position. 
     
     
         17 . The storage and retrieval system according to  claim 16 , wherein the bridging elements are arranged to guide storage containers during movement between the access channel of the terminal and a receiving portion of a transport assembly. 
     
     
         18 . The storage and retrieval system according to  claim 1 , wherein the docking assembly further comprises a ramp device arranged to raise a transport assembly on to the friction reducing surface during movement of the transport assembly into the docking assembly. 
     
     
         19 . The storage and retrieval system according to  claim 18 , wherein the ramp device comprises one or more rolling elements that are arranged to contact an under surface of the transport assembly during movement of the transport assembly into and out of the docking assembly and to cause the transport assembly to rise up as the transport assembly moves into the docking assembly. 
     
     
         20 . The storage and retrieval system according to  claim 19 , wherein the rolling elements are arranged such that the uppermost surface of the rolling elements define a slope suitable to cause a transport assembly to rise up or descend when rolling over the rolling elements. 
     
     
         21 . The storage and retrieval system according to  claim 20 , wherein the transport assembly comprises a base and a body supported on the base, the body comprising one or more receiving portions, each of the receiving portions being configured to receive and retain a stack of containers. 
     
     
         22 . The storage and retrieval system according to  claim 21 , wherein the base of the transport assembly comprises an under surface that is arranged to contact the friction reducing surface of the docking assembly when the transport assembly is within the terminal such that the transport assembly is supported on the friction reducing surface. 
     
     
         23 . The storage and retrieval system according to  claim 21 , wherein the or each receiving portion comprises container receiving elements that are arranged to guide containers into and out of the receiving portion and to restrain a stack of containers within the receiving portion. 
     
     
         24 . The storage and retrieval system according to  claim 21 , wherein the or each receiving portion comprises an access port through which storage containers are inserted into and removed from the receiving portion. 
     
     
         25 . A transport assembly that is configured to enable one or more stacks of containers to be transported, the transport assembly comprising:
 a base and a body supported on the base, the body comprising one or more receiving portions, each of the receiving portions being configured to receive and retain a stack of containers.   
     
     
         26 . A storage and retrieval system comprising:
 a grid above a workspace;   a plurality of containers located in stacks within the workspace;   a plurality of load handling devices arranged to move along the grid and configured to raise and lower the containers to and from the stacks located within the workspace; and   a terminal disposed within the workspace, the terminal being arranged to receive a transport assembly that is configured to enable one or more of the stacks of containers to be transported away from the workspace;   wherein the terminal comprises:
 a docking assembly that is arranged to control the position of the transport assembly within the terminal; and 
 a chamber that is arranged to receive a transport assembly and within which the docking assembly is located; 
 wherein the chamber comprises an opening through which a transport assembly can move into and out of the terminal, a door that is arranged to cover the opening, a lock mechanism that is configured to lock the door, one or more sensors that are configured to detect when a container-lifting device of a load handling device is within the terminal, and a lock controller that is configured to engage and disengage the lock mechanism in response to outputs from the sensors. 
   
     
     
         27 . A storage and retrieval system comprising:
 a grid above a workspace;   a plurality of containers located in stacks within the workspace;   a plurality of load handling devices arranged to move along the grid and configured to raise and lower the containers to and from the stacks located within the workspace;   a terminal disposed within the workspace, the terminal being arranged to receive a transport assembly that is configured to enable one or more of the stacks of containers to be transported away from the workspace;   wherein the terminal comprises:
 a docking assembly that is arranged to control the position of the transport assembly within the terminal; and 
 one or more movable bridging elements that are configured to move between a first position and a second position, wherein the bridging elements are arranged, when in the first position, to extend at least partially between an access channel of the terminal and a receiving portion of a transport assembly that is disposed within the terminal and, when in the second position, to be retracted away from the first position.